


Lockets

by DramaticGarbage



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Bullying Mention, Its gonna be ok, Lamp - Freeform, Multi, Soulmate AU, Virgil is sad, and worried, calm, patton is sad for some time, theres hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 12:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17386829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaticGarbage/pseuds/DramaticGarbage
Summary: Virgil can't wait to meet his soulmates once he gets his special locket with their names in it... But he has to deal with some bullying along the way that might complicate things.





	Lockets

Virgil Thomas Jenkins was seven years old when the Soulmate Caravan made it’s way into his town. His mother and father had explained to him that whenever the caravan came to town, all of the people who didn’t have their Soul Locket yet would go and see if one called out to them. They were only allowed to have one locket, and if one was meant to be his, he would know. He had so many questions about how it all worked, and where they came from, and how the locket knew who his soulmate was going to be. But no one really had an answer for that. The Caravan was mystical and magical… Somehow feeling absolute.

He held his mother’s hand so tight as they walked through, looking at all the beautiful lockets. He kept his eyes down on all the gorgeous items, wondering what his mother meant when she said one might call to him. Virgil didn’t understand… Until he saw one he couldn’t take his eyes off of. So many of them were so intricate and beautiful, so many metals and styles to them… But this one was a simple oval. It was pure black and it shone like a polished stone, reflecting the light as if it were a mirror. As he paused and stopped to look more closely, his mother smiled and watched him.

“…Do you feel it, Virgil? Did you find your locket?” She asked, a smile on her face as she watched her little boy, so transfixed on the item.

“…I think so, Momma. I.. I really want that one.” He said, looking up at her with his big shining eyes. She simply nodded and called over one of the attendants. They moved in an otherworldly sort of way, almost like they floated across the ground instead of actually walking. She pointed out the locket for him, the attendant looking over Virgil for a long moment before reaching to pick up his little black locket, handing it over to the small boy.

They both thanked them and moved along, Virgil choosing a simple black cord to string it on and his mother helping him slip it on around his neck. She knelt down, smiling and taking both of his hands. “Ok, little one. Your locket is a special special thing, ok? You should always keep it with you, and never show the inside to anyone besides your soulmate. You’ll open it up when you meet and show each other that you have each other’s names. Do you understand, little love?” She asked, smiling all the while as he looked down at his new locket.

“Yes, Momma. I understand. I promise.” He nodded, looking back up at her with a toothy grin.

“Good. Now let’s go home.”

It was that night when Virgil went to his room that he finally was alone and could up his locket to see what was written inside. He ever so careful popped it open, looking down to read the name… Names. He didn’t know he could have more than one soulmate! But there were three! Logan, Patton, and Roman. He was so excited, he couldn’t wait to meet them.

He very quickly learned a lot about Soul Lockets now that he had gotten his. Apparently there were a lot of opinions about them. A lot people viewed them like astrological signs, immediately making judgments on others based on the style, size, and color of their piece. The chain they wore it on.. If they chose to wear it as a necklace, bracelet, anklet, or keychain. Some people wore their’s visible, some kept them hidden.

Virgil was in 3rd grade when he found out that most people didn’t like his simple, black locket or the simple, black cord he wore it on. So many of his classmates had intricate designs or fancy shapes, some even had colors… He started always wearing his locket under his shirt.

Virgil was in 5th grade the umpteenth time he came home from school bawling, his huge gray eyes bloodshot and leaking profusely, rushing right into his mother’s arms. She managed to calm him down enough to get him to explain, he had been being bullied about his name… Again. Virgil liked his name. He liked that no one else had it. He liked that he had been named after his grandfather, he loved his grandfather. …But he didn’t like being made fun of for having a name that the other kids said was “weird,” “nerdy,” and “scary.”

It was the end of that school year that he begged his parents to transfer him to the other school district in town before he started middle school. He wanted to start over with new kids who didn’t know his name. He didn’t want them to make fun of him anymore. They discussed it, but did end up deciding to save their son from the bullying, transferring him to the new school… Making special note that his teachers were to call him only by his middle name.

Virgil was in 8th grade, walking into his new English class for the first time. He settled in a desk, doodling until the teacher began to speak and class began. After a brief intro, they started on Roll call and one of the very first names called out by his new teacher immediately caught his attention. “Bishop? Roman Bishop?”

Virgil’s eyes snapped to the attention, doing everything he could not to let his hand travel to touch his locket through his t-shirt. He looked subtly over when he heard when a boy answered “Here!” They were seated a little bit away from each other, but he could tell even from here that the boy had really pretty green eyes and a big toothy smile. Could that be his Roman? Roman was a pretty uncommon name, right? What were the odds tha-

“Jenkins? Thomas Jenkins?” Virgil faded back into attention, quickly raising his hand. “Here!” He glanced over at Roman, but he hadn’t reacted to hearing them call him for attendance. Maybe.. Maybe it wasn’t him.

As luck would have it, they did end up becoming close friends over the course of the year. After being paired up to work together on a project and finding that they really liked hanging out together, it was only natural that they continued doing so. By the time that year ended and they were graduating middle school, both of them would have easily called each other their very best friend.

Things stayed easy enough through Freshman year as well, the two of them didn’t have any classes together, but they did hang out at lunch and break, getting together over the weekend or after school when they could to hang out and argue about Disney movies together. Virgil was happy.

Sophomore year was a bit different, Virgil going to meet Roman at their usual lunch table and looking around to find him. He spotted him after a few minutes, starting to raise a hand to wave and get his attention, but stopping himself when he saw his best friend was with someone. He was talking animatedly with a slightly shorter boy, Virgil noticing how his eyes lit up when he laughed and his adorable smile as they approached. It took a beat longer for Virgil to also notice… They were holding hands.

The two of them finally reached him, Roman turning to him with a huge smile on his face. “Count Woelaf! You’ll never guess who I met in my last class!”

Virgil quickly set his expression back to his usual soft side smirk. “Oh I’m so sure I’ll never be able to guess, Princey.”

Roman just rolled his eyes and turned to the giggly, freckly, blue eyed boy, still holding his hand tight. “Anyway… Patton, this is my best friend, Marilyn Morose. T, this is Patton Summers.”

Patton. Patton? His name was… Roman and Patton… They were.. It had to be, didn’t it? There was no way… That meant that…

“T? …Hey, Earth to Thomathy. You alright? Come back to me.” Roman’s voice and soft pressure on his forearms jerked him back out of his spiralling thoughts.

Virgil looked down, seeing Roman was holding his arms, squeezing slightly as he bent down a bit to bring them both eye to eye with one another. “….Yeah. Uh.. Sorry. I.. Zoned out a little. Umm..” He shook his head to clear it. “Sorry, uh.. Patton? Nice to meet you…” He forced his smirk back to his face. “My deepest condolences that you’re stuck to this big dork, by the way.”

Roman let out an offended series of sounds, letting go of Virgil’s arms and turning back to Patton. “He’s a charmer, isn’t he?”

Patton just continued to softly giggle at their antics. “Nice to meet you too, Kiddo! Thomas, right? Roman told me about you! I hope we can become really good friends!” He spoke, looking back at Virgil with the more adorable and sincere smile that Virgil believed he had ever seen.

There was a growing pit of despair in his stomach as the reality of the situation set in more and more, but he kept his face and voice light, nodding. “…I hope so too, Patton. Definitely.”

That night found Virgil curled up in his bed, holding his open locket in his hand and looking down at it with a mix of despair and disdain. He had never thought that his soulmates… That he wouldn’t be their soulmate too. No one had told him that was an option. What was going to happen to him now? Was he just doomed to be by himself? That was not at all comforting. But what was he supposed to do? He wasn’t going to tell them that they were his soulmates even though he wasn’t their’s. He didn’t want them to feel obligated to involve him… Maybe being friends with them was the best was going to have. That would have to be enough. …Logistically he understood that that meant he probably wouldn’t see them much once high school ended… They’d move on and be together and… He decided not to dwell on that for now. If this was all he was going to get… He needed to make the best of it.

Senior year was definitely testing Virgil’s abilities to be chill about this entire situation. Him and his two best friends were all nearing 18… And Virgil was not handling watching his two soulmates seemingly grow more attractive by the day. That summer had been good to them. Especially to Roman. The cute green eyed boy he had met in middle school was now drop dead gorgeous, with strong masculine features and a tall, broad frame. The football coach had been beyond disappointed he had opted for theater and not for the varsity team.

Patton had also grown taller, though he managed to stay noticeably shorter than both Virgil and Roman… He was frustratingly adorable. He never lost those adorable freckles, like a smattering of stars across soft round cheeks. Those blue eyes behind big round glasses that only made him even cuter somehow.

Virgil himself had grown, sure. But he was lanky and gangly, awkward and skinny and pale. At least in his opinion.

Senior year was also, of course, the year that Logan Douglas just had to come into the picture. When Patton dragged along a beautiful, bespectacled boy with a mind as sharp as his cheekbones, Virgil didn’t even have to ask his name. They told him anyway, of course. Logan greeted him cordially, happy to meet his soulmates’ best friend.

Logan really completed the trio, Virgil thought to himself as he watched the three of them. Soft and caring Patton, passionate and talented Roman, smart and driven Logan. They.. They were all so perfect together… He was lucky they let him hang around them so much, honestly. He legitimately didn’t know why they did. Of course he never asked, but why would he do that?

Now that Logan had joined the group, things didn’t change too much besides Virgil’s growing realization that he had found all of his soulmates but he still didn’t belong. Sometimes his heart ached, feeling the cold, smooth locket against his skin as he looked over the three of them. He hadn’t seen Logan’s locket, he also wore it beneath his shirt as Virgil did. Patton’s was sweet and cute, like him. A rose gold heart hanging from a matching delicate chain, always visible and hanging just a few inches below his throat. Roman’s was beyond extra, of course. A shining golden star, made of intricately woven filigree. Virgil didn’t think he could hide it even if it wanted to, the locket being thick enough that it would have easily shown through any shirt Roman wore.

He hated when his eyes got stuck on Roman’s and Patton’s lockets, wishing more than anything that his name was written inside them like how their’s were inside his. But.. There was nothing he could do. He just had to keep enjoying things the way they were.

The four of them spent most weekends or days after school at Virgil’s house, hanging out all together. Roman seemed to have about 87 siblings, at least from what Virgil had been able to count whenever he mentioned their names from time to time, so his house was a bit hectic to say the least. They all got the impression that Logan’s family was pretty strict, so it wasn’t that they wouldn’t be able to hang out at his house, but maybe that it wouldn’t be the most optimal. And they’d been to Patton’s once or twice but his family’s house was rather small, so the addition of three extra teenagers, especially broad Roman and lanky Virgil, wasn’t the most comfortable.

So it just became the normal thing to do, all of them hanging out in his room watching movies or playing games whenever they could. If Virgil didn’t think on it too much… It was like everything was perfect. He had his soulmates… They all spent time together… He was still happy. Of course, senior year was just about halfway over. He really didn’t want to think about school ending… Or about prom or.. Anything. It was just too much.

They were all over at his house one Saturday afternoon, as was per usual, when Virgil’s mom came into his room and smiled over her son and his little group of friends.

“Hey boys, just wanted to let you know you’re all still welcome to stay for dinner like usual, of course. But, Thomas, your dad left to go pick up your grandparents from the airport a little while ago, he should be back in a few minutes. I’ll call you over when they get here.” She said before waving and walking out.

Roman made a little face at her words, but no one really commented on it, knowing that their dramatic boy didn’t keep his thoughts to himself for very long.

“Your grandparents are coming by, kiddo? That’s so sweet! I can’t wait to meet them!” Patton smiled, turning to Virgil.

Virgil gave a little smile in return. “Yeah, Pat. They’re gonna stay with us for the weekend.. I think they are out here to see a traveling exhibit down at the museum or something?”

“Oh, I have heard about that. It does indeed seem fascinating. It’s all about the human body and how it functions. I’ve heard it’s one of the best of it’s kind. I’d also be rather interested in visiting it while it is here.” Logan added.

“I’m sure you can talk all about it with Grandma at dinner, she’s always been really interested in.. I don’t know. Smart sciencey stuff.” Virgil shrugged.

“…Biology would be the current field, to be precise.” Logan added, a small expression of tired exasperation stretching across his face.

“Sorry, L. I’m not the smart one, that’s your department.” Virgil laughed, looking back at him with a smirk.

“Well, I’m just saying that something as basic as being able to categorize a field of study shoul-“

“Thomas! Your dad just parked in the driveway, come say hi!” His mom called again. They all stood, that strange expression crossing Roman’s face again as they began walking out of his room.

“…It’s still weird to hear your mom call you that. I’m not used to your, like, actual name. …I just don’t feel like it suits you.” Roman finally admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

“Well, it’s ac-“ Virgil began but was interrupted by the front door opening and an older woman walking in.

“There’s my little Virgil! Come give your grandma a hug!” She said, immediately opening her arms and Virgil smiling as he walked over to her.

“Grandma, i’m hardly little, you know?” He laughed, but was obviously used to this kind of greeting.

Neither Virgil nor his family had noticed his three friends freeze up when Virgil’s grandmother greeted them, Patton’s hand instinctively touching his locket as he looked at the other two. Did they just hear what they thought they did.

When they finally looked back over at Virgil, an older man had just reached the doorway.

“Virgil! There’s my favorite grandson!” He smiled warmly, also pulling him in for a hug.

“I’m your only grandson, Grandpa V.” Virgil once again was laughing, used to this reaction.

“Doesn’t make you any less my favorite!” Virgil’s grandfather laughed until he glanced past him to see the three boys in the hallway. “Oh! And who are these handsome young men?”

Virgil looked over, seeing them all seeming so utterly frozen and not really sure why, but he at least needed to get introductions out of the way. “..These are my friends, Roman, Patton, and Logan.” At the sound of their names, they all managed to slowly wave in response.

Virgil’s mom also noticed a bit of strangeness, having known these boys for so long now, and turned back to Virgil. “Why don’t you all head back to your room, sweetheart? I’ll call you for dinner when it’s ready.” She smiled, earning a nod from Virgil who crossed back over to his friends and moved past them, leading them back into his room.

They all settled back down, the three of them still seeming at a loss.

“…What’s gotten into you guys all of a sudden?” Virgil asked, his eyes trailing over his friends.

There was a long beat of silence before Logan finally broke it. “…..What was is that they called you?”

“Huh? Called me?” Virgil asked, raising an eyebrow.

“…Your name. They.. What?” Roman spoke up this time, his eyes searching Virgil’s face as though it was the first time he had seen it.

Virgil’s heart fell, realizing they had finally learned his well kept secret. “…oh. Uh. Yeah.. Thomas is my middle name. My first name is Virgil. I, uh, was named after my grandpa.” He explained, trying to keep the wince off his face.

“…Your name is Virgil?” Patton asked, his expression completely unplaceable. Was he… frightened? Sad? Whatever it was.. It wasn’t making Virgil feel better.

“…Yeah.. I stopped going by it in elementary, I didn’t like.. Getting made fun of.”

No one said anything. What on Earth could they all be so stuck on? If they didn’t like his name, they didn’t have to use it. Couldn’t they.. Why were they all staring at him?

Roman finally reaching up to his ornate golden locket, immediately popping the closure on the side and opening it fully.

Patton followed suit, opening the rose gold heart.

Logan had to reach into his shirt, pulling out a simple silver locket that Virgil had never seen before. It seemed to engraved in an intricate geometric pattern, but he didn’t get a chance to look at it too much before Logan had also opened it up to reveal the inside.

Virgil’s eyes moved across all three of them, reading the three names written within each of them. They all had each other’s of course… But the third name in each of them… They all read Virgil. His name. His actual first name… That none of them had known until only a few moments prior.

With shaking fingers and wide eyes, he reached below his collar and fished out his cool black locket, opening it for them to see.

All of them were staring on in disbelief, reading their names printed there. Patton was the first one to stir, his blue eyes welling with tears as he threw himself across the space and into Virgil’s arms, clutching him tightly. Virgil slowly brought his arms up, hugging him close and looking down at him, trying to process all that had just happened.

It took several long moments before Patton pulled his face out of Virgil’s chest, looking up at him with sad, red eyes. Why was he crying? Was he unhappy tha- Patton cut him off before he could spiral.

“…You knew? You knew… That it was us this whole time? You.. You knew and you didn’t tell us?” He asked, still clutching him tight.

Virgil’s voice was soft and embarrassed. “…I didn’t.. I didn’t think about how none of you knew my name. I.. I just assumed that I wasn’t… Your’s.” he said softly, only earning another choked sob from Patton.

“You.. You thought you were alone this whole time? You.. You thought we didn’t..” He managed before burying himself against him again, refusing to let go.

He hadn’t noticed that Logan and Roman had gotten up, both moving across the room and sitting on either side of Virgil on the edge of his bed.

“…I had no idea, T. …V? Anyway.. I didn’t know. I.. I’m so sorry. You’ve.. You’ve known it was me since middle school and.. I’m sorry.” Roman said, looking remorseful as he added his arm around Virgil’s back, leaning against him.

“…I’m sorry as well, Virgil. We had no idea. I.. We had talked about it amongst ourselves before. That being around you felt… Correct and we all thoroughly enjoyed being in your company. We just had no way of knowing..” Logan added, softly placing his hand on Virgil’s shoulder.

Virgil had no idea what to make of all this… What he had been worried about for all this time was over… He.. Had just… “..You don’t need to apologize.. I.. I didn’t consider.. You had no way of knowing. It’s not any of your fault.” He said softly, happily sitting there and still holding Patton, so content that they were all around him.. That he was even more included than he had ever felt before.

They sat there together for a long while, just silently enjoying all of their presence. The moment was broken after a long while, Virgil’s mom’s voice sounding from the kitchen. “Virgil! Dinner is ready!”

They began to separate from each other, wiping eyes and looking around at one another, but Roman couldn’t hold back a little chuckle. They all turned to look at him and a cheeky smile spread across his face.

“I was right, you know.” He said, a bit smug.

Virgil rolled his eyes, looking at him. “Oh great. About what, Ro?”

“….Thomas never suited you. But.. Virgil is perfect.”


End file.
